Award-winning Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia believes his fellow citizens need to think about climate change, because rising sea levels caused by climate change are a frequent cause of flooding in that country.

At the recent World Architecture Festival held in Singapore, Nghia garnered an award for his design of the Binh Duong School located in the town of Di An, north of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It’s a single five-story construction where students and teachers can seek refuge should there be a flood.

The school that caters to 800 students is also reliant on vertical louvres and perforated screens covering the facade to allow air to flow freely across the external corridors and into each room. “The louvres also stop the direct sunlight and create shelter from tropical rains,” explains the architect. “The school is connected to the ground at one end and curves around two courtyards with two different characteristics.

The front yard is used for formal events such as school meetings, while the back yard is more private, where students spend their personal time,” says Nghia, adding that he tried to reflect the traditional way that Vietnamese people live in harmony with nature in his design. “We tried to embed the building into the site by delivering this Vietnam-oriented generous spirit of natural land into the school design.”